Electric toy.



ELECTRIC TOY.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1901.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR A. KENT, OF LEBANON, NEW I'IAMPSI'IIRE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOFRANK B. KENDRICK AND WILLIAM F. DAVIS, OF SAME PLACE, AND PARTNERSUNDER FIRM NAME OF KENDRIOK AND DAVIS.

ELECTRIC TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,891, dated April 9,1901.

Application filed January 29, 1901. Serial No. 45,191. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ARTHUR A. KENT, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Lebanon, in the county of Grafton and State of NewHampshire, have invented a certain new and useful Electric Top, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention in its most specific form relates to a toy in the nature ofa top, which is particularly adapted to be used either with a fan forproducing a current of air or with colored disks which will rotate withthe top, whereby a changeable-color illusion device is produced, thecolors varying and changing gradually as long as the rotation continues.

One object of my invention is to produce an electric motor, the armatureof which in its normal position is stationary and which may be startedto rotate by spinning it with the hand or other suitable device andwhich may be stopped by the use of an automatically-operated switchlocated between it and the source of electrical supply.

A further object of my invention is to produce the changeable colorillusion device above referred to.

The invention consists, broadly, of an electric apparatus comprising amotor consisting of a base, stationary field-magnets mounted upon saidbase, an armature and a spindle therefor, circuit connections for saidarmature, and an automatic switch included in said circuit andcontrolled by the armature, whereby when the motor is started thecircuit is completed and when stopped the attracted position of thearmature will maintain the switch in an open-circuit position.

The invention further consists of the novel features of constructionhereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed outin the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the topwithout the disks. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the battery. Fig. 2is a plan view without the disks. Fig. 3 is a vertical transversesection, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, with the disks added and shownalso in section. Fig. i is a plan view of a color-disk. Fig. 5 is a planof the under side of the same. Fig. 6 is a plan of the black disk, andFig. 7 is a plan of the fan.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

A denotes the base, made, preferably, of iron, and B the battery. In thedrawings I have shown the battery as being the ordinary dry battery,although it is obvious that any suitable source of electrical supply maybe used without departing from the spirit of my invention. 0 and 0denote the stationary field-magnets, made of iron supported by andrising from said base. These magnets are connected by the cross-piece a,made of metal.

I) is a vertical spindle stepped in said base and extending through andbeyond said crosspiece. a is an armature adapted to revolve and mountedupon said spindle. d is a sleeve of insulating material mounted upon andrevolving with said spindle and adapted to receive and support theterminals 6 c of the armature-winding to form contacts. ff are thecircuit-Wires for said armature, having their ends g g flattened to formbrushes and suitably supported, so as to engage and disengage saidcontacts during the revolution of the armature and to be disengagedtherefrom when the motor is stopped and its armature attracted to itsnormal inactive position by thetield-magnets. The brushesaresupported bymeans of the split Wooden bushings h h, through which they are led, thesaid bushings being driven through the sides of the field-magnets, andthus held firmly in their proper position.

t' denotes a sleeve made, preferably, of Wood and rigidly attached tothe spindle b and comprising a pulley It and the circular concentricshoulders Z and m.

D and E represent the upper and lower 0 sides of a color-disk, which maybe supported upon the shoulder Z and adapted to be rotated with thespindle b.

F represents a fan-shaped disk, black in color, and G a three-bladed fanfor producing a current of air, each of which may be supported upon theshoulder m and likewise adapted to be rotated upon the spindle b.

n denotes a wooden knob provided with a central longitudinal opening 0,adapted to fit I00 onto the top of the spindle b for the purpose ofholding the color-disks and fan in proper position upon the shoulders Zand m, as above stated.

Referring to the disk D, the sectionspp are colored yellow, the sectionsg g red, the sections 9' 4' blue, and the sections 3 3 white.

Referring to the disk E, the sections it are colored blue, the sectionsit a red, and the sections 1010 white. It is obvious, however, that anyother suitable colored disks may be used without departing from thespirit of my invention.

The operation of the device in so far as it has not been alreadydisclosed is as follows: The normal position of the armature isstationary and its position in such a state of rest is parallel with thecross-piece and the com mutatorbrushes, the field magnets attracting theends of the armature, and thus causing the circuit to become an openone. This is the normal position of the armature, as above stated. Acolor-diskfor example, D-is placed upon the shoulder Z and the blackfan-like-shaped disk f is placed upon the shoulder m. The wooden knob isthen placed on the top of the spindle b to hold the disks in theirproper positions. When it is desired to rotate the top, the wooden knobis turned so as to rotate the spindle slightly, so as to bring theterminals of the armature-winding in contact with thecommutator-brushes. This action immediately closes the circuit andcauses the armature to rotate and likewise the disks D and F, whereby achangeable-color illusion device is produced, the colors varying andchanging gradually as long as the rotation continues. When it is desiredto stop the apparatus, all that is necessary to do is to stop therotation of the armature by taking hold of the wooden knob 02 andbringing it to a state of rest. The field-magnets will then attract theends of the armature into the position of rest first above st ated andcause the circuit to become an open one.

What I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. An electricmotor, comprising stationary fieldmagnets, an armature and a spindletherefor, circuit connections for said armature and an automatic switchincluded in said circuit and controlled by the armature, whereby whenthe motor is started the circuit is completed and when stopped theattracted position of the armature will maintain the switch in anopen-circuit position, substantially as described.

2. In an electric top, a motor comprising stationary field-magnets and arevolving armature, a spindle upon which said armature is mounted, andadapted to receive and support color-disks or other suitable visualdevices,

and an automatic switch for controlling the current to said armature,com prising contacts connected with the terminals of the armaturewindingand mounted upon and revolving with said spindle, and stationary brushesadapted to be connected with a suitable source of supply and to engageand disengage said contacts during the revolution of the armature, andto be held in disengagement therefrom when the motor is stopped and itsarmature attracted and held in its normal position by the field-magnets,substantially as described.

3. In an electric top, a motor comprising stationary field-magnets and arevolving armature, a spindle upon which said armature is mounted andadapted to receive and support color-disks or other suitable visualdevices, and an automatic switch for controlling the current to saidarmature, comprising a sleeve of insulating material mounted upon andrevolving with said spindle and adapted to receive and support theterminals of the armature-winding to term contacts, circuit-wires forsaid armature having their ends flattened to form brushes and suitablysupported upon said motor to engage and disengage said contacts duringthe revolution of the armature and to be disengaged therefrom when themotor is stopped and its armature attracted and held in its normalposition by the field-magnets, substantially as described.

at. In an electric top, a motor therefor comprising a base, field-maguets rising therefrom, a cross-piece connecting said field-magnets,a vertical spindle stepped in said base and extending through and beyondsaid crosspiece and adapted to receive and support color-disks or othersuitable visual devices, an armature mounted upon said spindle and anautomatic switch for controlling the current to said armature,comprising a sleeve of insulating material mounted upon and re volvingwith said spindle and adapted to receive and support the terminals ofthe armature-winding to form contacts, circuit-Wires for said armaturehaving their ends flattened to form brushes and suitablysupported uponsaid motor to engage and disengage said contacts during the revolutionof the armature and to be disengaged therefrom when the ll] 0- tor isstopped and its armature attracted to its normal inactive position bythe field-magnets, substautially as described.

In wituesswhereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature, this llth day ofJanuary, A. D. 1901, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR A. KENT.

Witnesses:

MARSHALL D. OoBLnIcn, CHARLES H. JENKINS.

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